When I was a pest management student in college I had a Chilean-born professor named Leo Caltagirone. He used to tell us that we should always focus on the crop that we were working with rather than the pests. The reason he said this was because of the natural tendency of entomologists, plant pathologists and weed scientists to focus on their particular class of organisms rather than the crop that…

So far, this year is a drought year unlike any other in recent California history. At this time, many vineyards not only have a limited water supply for irrigation, but the water in their root zones is well below their full water holding capacities. With our rainfall future uncertain, we need to prepare for the worst. Here are four drought management strategies for your consideration. Artificial Rain This first strategy…

This month I would like to share my thoughts regarding how to prevent powdery mildew disease in Chardonnay grapes. For 19 years I worked with Ruby Seedless table grapes in the Reedley area, and that experience shaped my approach to preventing powdery mildew. The Ruby Seedless variety is more susceptible to powdery mildew than wine grape varieties and the growers have a zero tolerance for infections. As a result, my…

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) (BMSB) is native to China, Korea, and Japan. The first documentation of this species in the U.S. occurred in Pennsylvania in 2001. It has been found in dozens of U.S. states either as reproducing populations or single finds, and the list of infested states has grown each year. BMSB was first found in the Western U.S. in Portland in 2004, and has spread…